Truck Driver Recruiting: Four Tips For Boosting Referrals

May 14, 2013

Create an effective referral pipeline by making your drivers believers.

It All Starts With Effective Messaging.
Selling a qualified candidate on your company is the end goal of any recruiting interaction. If your message isn’t compelling enough, you’re losing sales.

Yes, each driver has his or her own unique perspective on the company. But every driver should be aware of, and believe, your core selling points. And those points should be listed on the referral cards your drivers carry.

Four Steps To A More Effective Referral Program:

  1. Involve drivers in message development: Have you ever asked your drivers what attracted them to the company, and why they like working with you? You may be surprised what you hear. And if what you hear from your drivers bears scant resemblance to what you (and your recruiters) are telling prospects, you need to change your message.
  2. Make sure you have driver Buy-In: A client of ours once told us Referral Programs were useless, because their drivers were convinced more drivers meant less work for them. The truth was, the company had never effectively communicated the fact that more drivers enabled them to take that many more loads—which meant more work for everybody. We helped them develop convincing communications to that effect—and guess what: Referrals are now the company’s top source of new drivers.
  3. Hold periodic referral contests: Set specific beginning and end dates. Two or three months is a reasonable period. And remember: Prizes and rewards are only part of the formula for success. A genuinely effective referral contest keeps drivers engaged.
  4. Give drivers personalized referral cards. Sure, personalized cards (custom-printed with drivers’ names) cost more than mass-produced cards. But your drivers will  be a lot likelier to hand them out. Which means, in the long run, those cards are a lot likelier to pay for themselves.

Finally: An Important Warning
I hinted at it earlier: Drivers have to believe in the company’s selling points. Which means they have to believe in the company. If you’ve earned a reputation for treating drivers poorly, you don’t need to worry about improving your selling points. You need worry about improving your company. Otherwise, that great referral campaign will just become a pipeline fueling your turnover rate.


For Further Reading:

Driver Recruiting Ads Should Focus On What Matters To Truckers

How To Competitively Recruit Truck Drivers Without Appearing Negative

4 Ways Oakley Maximizes Driver Recruiting AND Retention

2 Comments | Branding, Communications, Driver Incentives, Driver Recruitment, Driver Referrals, Driver Retention, Recruiters | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by francishare

Better Branding Maximizes Truck Driver Recruiting

April 11, 2013

branding_iron

A compelling brand strategy is the most cost-effective weapon you can have in your driver recruiting arsenal.

Ever ask yourself how Apple can charge $1500 for a $750 laptop? Because it’s worth it to the people who buy them. That’s the power of a great brand. Ever ask yourself why the typical self-respecting Southerner would sooner take a bullet than serve Pepsi at a party? Because it’s not Coke. That’s the power of a great brand.

So how can you ensure that your brand is as strong as it can be, and effectively supporting your company’s recruiting goals?

Start With A Thorough Brand Review.
A brand is a lot more than the slogan of the month. It’s who you are, from your people to your service processes. It’s what comes into people’s minds when they think of your company or product. So what comes to mind when people think about you? It’s a good question to start the ball rolling. And don’t just ask yourself that question. Ask others.

Develop A Positioning Statement And Brandline.
Your positioning statement (or elevator pitch) should reflect the central benefits your company offers a driver or team. And a memorable, strategically-sound brandline (IE, Apple: Think Different.) can serve as the foundation for all of your marketing communications.

Make The Necessary Internal Adjustments.
If your brand review indicates others perceive you differently from how you perceive yourself (or how you hope others perceive you), simply re-working you brand message is only the start. You’ll also need to make changes in the company itself.

Be Consistent.
Once you’ve identified all the necessary changes, you’ll need to deploy your new brand strategy through all your communications channels. Driver recruiting ads are important. But they’re only part of a truly effective plan—which should encompass everything from your Social Media strategy to the way your recruiters handle incoming calls.

Stick With It.
Study after study has demonstrated that businesses who maintain a consistent advertising investment average significantly higher sales growth than those who don’t. The same applies to driver recruitment. Particularly during recessions. After all, if your competitors are cutting their ad budgets, what better time to reach-out to their drivers and prospects?

Think of it this way: If you’re in a room with 20 people talking at once, all you hear is noise. But if 19 go silent, suddenly the one person who’s still talking can be heard loud and clear. Now that’s taking advantage of opportunity.

FOR FURTHER READING:

3 Tips For Making Your Driver Recruiters’ Calls More Effective

Recruiters: Is your company keeping the promises you’re making?

Three Lessons From MATS For Truck Driver Recruiting

Leave a Comment » | Advertising, Branding, Communications, Driver Recruitment, Social Media, Trade Shows | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by francishare

How Con-way Recruits Young Truck Drivers With Apprenticeships

February 27, 2013

A well-run apprenticeship program can be an excellent way to replace your aging fleet with loyal young drivers whose skills you know you can trust.

David May, a driver-sales representative for Con-way Freight, is a well-known industry advocate and ambassador. He’s written a heartfelt piece that looks back at his past—and ahead to trucking’s future. Here are the highlights:

After graduating high school in 1976 I was living in an old steel/manufacturing town where there were few employment possibilities. The only things at that time that interested me were truck driving and serving in the military. If I entered the military, they would train me to drive a truck, and when my enlistment was up I would be 21. So that’s the course I took, serving my country and being a truck driver in the military.

How to Attract the Next Generation.
I have been a professional truck driver for 28 years now, and increasingly I ask myself: How do we attract the next generation to the trucking industry? Simple. Take a page out of the past, invite them to join as an “apprentice”—where they can learn and experience the profession through paid, on-the-job training.

How to Structure Your Apprenticeship Program.
At Con-Way, apprentice drivers are offered a part-time 20 hour week working on the dock to provide them with income. The other 20 hours will be spent learning the industry’s rules, safety regulations and how to drive a truck—at no cost. When the candidate successfully completes the program, they’ll be offered the opportunity for promotion to full-fledged Con-way Driver.

Additional Benefits: Producing Well-Trained, CSA Compliant Drivers.
This program is designed to do much more than fill the seats of Con-way Freight’s trucks. When the student completes the program, not only will they have their Commercial Drivers License (CDL), they will have learned how to be CSA 2010 compliant. They’ll be among the best trained, safest and most knowledgeable drivers in the industry.

Click on the following link to  read the original article, “A Driver’s Story – Encouraging the Next Generation”, in its entirety.

Too Expensive For You?
Maybe you’ve decided that developing an in-house apprenticeship program is too costly. You could ask your local trucking school if they’d be interested in co-sponsoring a program with your company.

That might be a reasonable option, as long as you have an agreement protecting your investment. Here’s one idea: If a quality graduate from the program declines your offer and accepts a comparable offer with another company, maybe that individual would owe you the amount of money you invested in subsidizing his or her tuition. Here’s a better idea: Get suggestions from the fine folks in your legal department!

Get your company profiled in an article! Just send me an email outlining any recruiting and/or retention issues you deal with. CLICK HERE for contact info.

2 Comments | Benefits, Company Drivers, Driver Incentives, Driver Recruitment, Driver Retention | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by francishare

CR England Automates Truck Driver Recruiting. Should You?

February 14, 2013

Customized Recruiting Software Is Worth The Investment.

That was the conclusion CR England VP Thom Pronk reached after a thorough analysis of his company’s recruiting process.

With some 4,000 power units, over 5,500 trailers, and over 6,000 employees and contractors, CR England clearly knows something about organizational efficiency. But what Pronk discovered from his analysis convinced him that his recruiting department could do better.

Here are the four main problem areas Pronk identified:

1) Lack Of Departmental Coordination.
CR England’s recruiters were seeking drivers. Its compliance staff was busy ensuring that applicants passed all of the tests before being hired. But there was very little communication between the two.

And because the company used paper records, only one person could work on a file at a time. Nobody had visibility into the entire process, so one side never knew what the other side was doing.

2) Minimal Accountability For Teams Or Individuals.
This fostered a climate of finger-pointing to evade responsibility. Managers had no conclusive method of verifying what each individual was accomplishing—or not accomplishing. There was no information trail to detect problems, so that they could be addressed before they mushroomed into serious issues.

3) Technology Shortcomings.
CR England was faxing thousands of hiring documents. Some became illegible in transmission. Others were simply lost. They tried creating an electronic file of documents by scanning them, but this was not done as an integral part of processing applications.

At the same time, the departments used multiple software systems. Causing confusion, duplicated efforts, and wasted time.

4) Too Many Applicants Not Finishing The Process.
During initial phone calls, applicants might be asked to fax certain documents. Often, the company didn’t get all the documents they needed. Either the documents were never sent or, worse still, lost in the paper shuffle. Which meant applicants would have to be asked to furnish the missing documents. Pronk notes, “Do that too often, and the applicant is going to find work elsewhere.”

Does any of the above remind you of your own recruiting department? Maybe it’s time you considered an automated solution. CR England selected McLeod Software’s HirePowerTM software system.

Pronk was so pleased with the results that he authored an in-depth White Paper documenting the entire process for McLeod. Click Here to read a summary of the benefits CR England has reaped from its investment.

Get your company profiled in an article! Just send me an email outlining any recruiting and/or retention issues you deal with. CLICK HERE for contact info.

Leave a Comment » | Communications, Driver Recruitment, Recruiters | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by francishare

Crete’s Healthy Approach To Truck Driver Recruiting & Retention

February 6, 2013

1Crete Carrier Corporation’s Sleep Apnea and Wellness program is paying solid dividends in word of mouth among drivers.

Tim Aschoff, Vice President of Risk Management for The Lincoln, Nebraska-based carrier, estimates his company will invest roughly $1.5 million in the program during its first two years. “We’ve always said that our drivers are Crete’s most valuable asset,” says Aschoff, “and we’ve always stood behind those words, by investing in them. Not just with better pay, but with better benefits as well. We see this program as an excellent extension of those benefits.”

Improving ROI While Reducing Turnover.
“From a business perspective, we believe the program will ultimately deliver a return on our investment. We’ve received consistenty solid feedback from drivers who’ve gone through the program. And keeping drivers happy reduces turnover. At the same time, by positively impacting driver health, we’re reducing our healthcare costs. And theirs.”

Generating Positive Publicity. And Early Success.
Driver Health Magazine labeled Crete’s initiative “one of the most effective health and wellness programs in the trucking industry.” One reason for its success: An effective communications campaign. “Before the program’s rollout,” Aschoff says, “we worked long and hard developing informative messages for our drivers—explaining exactly what the program was, and how it could help them.”

Now, any driver interested in the program can visit (free of charge) any number of locations for sleep disorder testing. In addition to its permanent Sleep Labs in Dallas or Salt Lake City, Crete’s strategic partner, Sleep Pointe, operates a number of mobile trailers at company terminals. If a sleep disorder is indeed diagnosed, Sleep Pointe will work with the driver to develop a specifically tailored program of treatment.

Growing Word Of Mouth.
While the program was initially met with some skepticism, it’s caught on. In its first eight months alone, the program (launched in 2010) treated 465 drivers. An impressive number, to be sure, but even more rewarding are the individual success stories Aschoff is hearing.

“I had one driver call me personally to tell me he’d lost 40 pounds, that he felt better than he had in years, and that he never would have done it in the first place if it hadn’t been for our program.” No wonder Aschoff himself is sleeping better these days.

Get your company profiled in an article! Just send me an email outlining any recruiting and/or retention issues you deal with. CLICK HERE for contact info.

2 Comments | Benefits, Communications, Driver Incentives, Driver Recruitment, Driver Retention, Health and Fitness | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by francishare

Three Lessons From MATS For Truck Driver Recruiting

January 24, 2013

Image courtesy truckingshow.com

Recruiting is still about establishing relationships, and the most effective recruiting combines new solutions with old truths.

My yearly experience at MATS always confirms something I’ve said about the trucking business for about two decades now: There’s no industry or profession where people are more consistently, and genuinely, friendly. Which leads to my first, and most important, point:

1. Being Friendly Is Not Enough.
I know that sounds obvious to folks who’ve seen longtime drivers switch companies for what amounts to a few extra bucks a week. But my point is this: When you’re competing against organizations whose people are every bit as friendly and persuasive as yours, your brand is all you have to differentiate yourself from the competition.

Let’s put it this way: If I’m being perfectly honest, there really is little difference between Coke and Pepsi. So why would the typical self-respecting Southerner (like myself) take a bullet before serving Pepsi at a party? Because it’s not Coke. That’s the power of branding. And from the look of most booth displays and marketing materials I see at MATS, very few trucking companies fully understand the power that a well-defined brand (and brand message) can have in recruiting.

2. Technology Is Not Always The Answer.
There’s a reason the leading publishing companies have embraced online marketing as an extension of their traditional print magazines: It works. And its effectiveness is only going to grow as time passes. The same goes for social media—which, if some pundits are to believed, could ultimately become the single most powerful medium for effective recruiting.

Yes, PPC search-marketing, job boards, click-through banners and social media can be extremely effective tactics for attracting good candidates. But those tactics rarely ever close a deal for you. That takes person-to-person contact. Somebody on the phone speaking the same language as a driver—and asking for the sale.

Again, that seems like a pretty obvious point. So how do you explain recruiting departments who deal with incoming calls by directing drivers to their online application forms. “Why in the world,” a longtime veteran once asked me, “would you send someone to a website, when you have them on the phone?”

3. Recruiters Need To Be Recruiting.
After all, recruiting is what recruiters do best. So why are so many recruiters spending large chunks of their valuable time creating and managing their ad campaigns? “It costs less.” A claim to which I would responded, “Yep, and it costs less to buy fabric and sew your own suits. But if you’re looking for a job on Wall Street, that ain’t gonna cut it .”

Not only that, when you consider the percentage of a recruiter’s salary that’s lost on those activities, some companies are actually spending more to produce pathetic creative work (and make terribly-inefficient media investments) than they’d pay to have professionals do it right.

To summarize:

  • Define what makes you different. Clearly, compellingly and professionally.
  • Never forget what’s really important.
  • Focus on what you do best.
  • Spend wisely.

And yes, keep being friendly. Outside of keeping our nation’s economy rolling, it’s the one thing no industry does better.


For Further Reading:

Leave a Comment » | Advertising, Branding, Digital Marketing, Driver Recruitment, Trade Shows | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by francishare

3 Tips For Making Your Driver Recruiters’ Calls More Effective

December 13, 2012

Laughing young guy enjoying a conversation over the cellphone

How you say it can mean the difference between success and failure.

It’s A Lesson I Learned The Hard Way.
In the mid 1980’s, my agency hired an attractive, friendly young woman as our receptionist. Whenever anyone visited our office, they invariably commented on what a great addition she was to the staff. Which is why I was taken aback when one of my friends told me, “You have to do something about that girl who answers your calls. She has a horrible phone voice.”

I was surprised because I’d watched her answer any number of calls, and was comfortable she was doing a fine job. In other words, I was listening more with my eyes than her ears: Her good looks and friendly demeanor completely obscured the fact that, from the other end of the phone, her voice projected utter indifference.

So how can your recruiters make their calls more effective?

1. Say It With A Smile.
In an article for Workforce Management, professional facilitator Tucker Miller writes, “One of the best tools I’ve encountered is a mirror that one of my colleagues set on his desk next to the phone. Printed on the mirror were the words: ‘Can you hear my smile?’ As he talked on the phone, he would then be reminded to smile.

“By smiling, people tend to calm themselves and align their tone to their expression. Smiling becomes a way of moderating the intensity of what you are saying, matching the pace of the conversation with the other person, and creating space to reflect on the appropriateness of the response.”

2. Stand Up.
Marc Corsini, a highly-regarded business coach and author of Do What You Do Better With the 7 F’s of True Success, advises his clients that standing up when making calls naturally adds a noticeable degree of enthusiasm to your voice.

3. Treat Every Caller Like A Hot Prospect.
Attitude is everything, and here’s a true story to prove my point: I once did branding work for a dating service which employed several sales reps. Every time a sales rep called a prospect, they would mark the prospect’s lead-sheet with a check. The more checks on a lead sheet, the colder the prospect. Or so the reps thought.

One day, the boss took a stack of lead sheets with multiple checks—and entered the same old names on new lead sheets, with no checks. The sales reps were thrilled. And guess what? Their conversion rate skyrocketed.

I’ll say it again: Attitude is everything. So the next time you grab a call when you’re not at your best, pause a second and ask yourself, “Can they hear my smile?” It makes all the difference in the world.

Leave a Comment » | Communications, Driver Recruitment, Recruiters | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by francishare

Randolph Rochelle: Oakley Trucking’s Advantage In Recruiting Black Truck Drivers

December 3, 2012

The trucking industry’s percentage of African American drivers is almost the same as the general population—which is one reason why your recruiting should reflect that level of diversity.

If you asked me, this isn’t a race issue at all; it’s human nature: People tend to connect more easily with people similar to themselves.

Statistics tell us that the trucking industry’s percentage of black truck drivers is remarkably similar to the population as a whole—so we can reasonably conclude that the reality of industry diversity is far from any stereotypes the general population may have about truckers being overwhelmingly white.

According to a 2005 article published by the American Trucking Associations, African Americans represent 11.7 percent of long-haul drivers. Whereas the US Census Bureau, as of July 1, 2009, reported that black citizens made up 12.9 percent of the total U.S. population.

And yet, out of all the fine trucking companies I’ve known over the years, and of all the good people I’ve known in recruiting, I can count the number black recruiters I know on two fingers. One of whom is Oakley Trucking’s Randolph Rochelle.

This naturally led me to conclude that Randolph gives Oakley a decided advantage when it comes to recruiting black drivers—again, based simply on human nature. I was curious if Randolph felt the same way. He agreed that, all other things being equal, his background often did give Oakley an advantage over other carriers in competing for good black candidates.

“Since we have a lot of life and cultural experiences in common, that can make it easier for me to start a real dialogue with black drivers. You might say we speak the same language. And if there’s one thing that’s important to all drivers, no matter who they are, it’s working with people who understand where they’re coming from.”

“At the same time,” Randolph is quick to point out, “I feel like I can relate to just about anybody—no matter who they are.” He certainly brings a broad range of experience to any conversation with prospective drivers: During his 20-plus years with Oakley, Randall’s served the company in a number of capacities—ranging from Owner Operator to Manager of one of the company’s ports.

In the final analysis, successfully recruiting any truck driver starts the same way: With good communication.

So does that mean your next Recruiting Department hire should be African American, for no other reason than the color of his or her skin? Of course not.

On the other hand, it certainly doesn’t hurt to ensure that your recruiting materials and messaging reflect the diversity level of your driver workforce. But as I’ve indicated elsewhere in this space, whatever you do in that area has to be genuine. Otherwise, it’s ultimately going to feel either crass and calculated or “politically correct”. And these days, folks can spot phonies a mile away. No matter what color they are.

Get your company profiled in an article! Just send me an email outlining any recruiting and/or retention issues you deal with. CLICK HERE for contact info.

For Further Reading:

Leave a Comment » | Dispatchers, Driver Recruitment, Recruiters | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by francishare

How Your Safety Policies Impact Truck Driver Recruiting

November 29, 2012

The current Hours Of Service limitations means drivers are more concerned than ever with safety policies. Particularly where driver fatigue is concerned.

Everybody knows it by now: Where the FMCSA’s 15-hour “driving + on-duty” limit formerly applied strictly to On The Job time, the current law—passed last December—imposes a limit of 14 hours, period.

Which means exhausted drivers can no longer pull off the road and “clock-out” in the middle of their shifts for much-needed naps—then clock-in, refreshed and ready to go, without counting that downtime as part of their newly-reduced HOS total.

Which also means we’re probably now seeing a lot more drivers trying to push their way through exhaustion in order to maximize their earnings potential during those 14 hours. Not to mention an increase in the number of drivers tempted to falsify logs.

So what’s the solution for recruiting? Full disclosure.

Make Your Policies Transparent.
Cliff Abbott, a longtime industry veteran (and author of the highly-recommended book, Chronicles of an American Trucker), notes, “Our industry has a long tradition of rewarding drivers for NOT accurately reporting their hours. Too many drivers have learned to maximize their available driving time, which they are paid for, while not recording time spent in non-driving activities—like loading, or inspecting their vehicle.”

Publishing your safety policies is one way to weed-out drivers with bad habits—saving you the trouble of learning about them the hard way.

Create A Plan For Improving Driver Quality of Life.
Driver health has a huge impact on fatigue. Poor health, especially obesity, can create sleep problems like sleep apnea—so Abbott recommends companies thoroughly screen its new drivers on the front end. “I’d also recommend physical capabilities testing—to make sure that drivers meet certain minimum capabilities standards. Then, provide training in fatigue management and hours of service. And, of course, you should always stress overall safety as a core value of your company.”

Still, even healthy drivers get sleepy—which is one reason why Truck Stop shelves are lined with Energy Drinks and Energy Shots. “Ideally, drivers should avoid using any kind of stimulant,” says Abbott. “It goes without saying that companies should be against illegal stimulants, but even legal stimulants like caffeine can compound existing health issues—particularly high blood pressure.

“The best answer for driver fatigue,” Abbot concludes, “is rest.” Too bad the best answer now comes with a Federally mandated penalty. Call it a tax on common sense.

Get your company profiled in an article! Just send me an email outlining any recruiting and/or retention issues you deal with. CLICK HERE for contact info.

Leave a Comment » | Communications, Driver Incentives, Driver Recruitment, Driver Retention, Government Regulations, Health and Fitness | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by francishare

Boost Driver Recruiting And Retention With A Satisfaction Guarantee

November 12, 2012

Create a Satisfaction Guarantee that holds both parties accountable, to strengthen driver recruiting, loyalty and on-the-job performance.

Plenty of trucking companies guarantee satisfaction for their customers. Why not extend it to driver candidates?

Don’t get me wrong, I understand truckers can be a notoriously hard-to-please lot. But you can make a Satisfaction Guarantee work with the right wording. Establishing clearly understood conditions. With shared responsibilities between the trucker and the company.

The important point in offering a Satisfaction Guarantee is to create one where the company and the driver have responsibilities to make it work. That way, you’re creating a mutual commitment. And in the process, you’re not only strengthening your driver recruiting efforts, you’re building driver loyalty and on-the-job performance.

Daniel J. Smith, a contributor to RecruitingBlogs.com offered some interesting ideas for using a guarantee in a 2011 article.  Here are highlights:

How Do You Guarantee Satisfaction?

  • Listen intently to candidates, and understand what they want from a position.
  • Address all the concerns they might have.
  • Demonstrate that you understand all the information given, to produce satisfactory results.

Check In Regularly After The Hire.
Satisfaction is something many people talk about providing. What you do after a hire ensures that your goals are met.  Start by picking-up the phone, and checking-in with your drivers from time to time. It costs you nothing, and it shows drivers you care.

The more you care, the likelier you are to create a bond with drivers—and the better your chances are of creating long-term driver loyalty.

And when a driver has issues, address them immediately—or at least as soon as possible. Don’t let problems fester and grow.

In short, “Satisfaction Guaranteed” should be more than just a motto. After all, in today’s environment, if you don’t deliver satisfaction, your competition will.

Click on the following link to read Daniel’s article, Satisfaction Guaranteed.

1 Comment | Driver Incentives, Driver Recruitment, Driver Retention, Recruiters | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by francishare

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